BECKMAN PUMPED BY THREE STRONG PASSES TO GRAB NO. 11 IN TOPEKA QUALIFYING

TOPEKA, Kan. (June 2, 2007) - Jack Beckman qualified the Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car in No. 11 for the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka during only three of four qualifying rounds. The Friday night round was cancelled because of rain.

Beckman is pumped after posting three consistent and solid passes, including Friday's single lap of 4.914 seconds at 313.88 mph, followed by Saturday's4.909/306.81 and finally his quickest of 4.891/309.56.

"I feel good, I feel great," he said. "I tell you, this is just what we needed. Three runs within a hundredth (of a second) in pretty different track conditions, and maybe, most important, Saturday's qualifying runs look like they'll be a good tune-up for Sunday. Friday is pretty much the let-it-hang-out one and we weren't as quick as we should have been, and that's why we didn't qualify higher than 11th.

"But, if you look at how our numbers stacked up in the last two sessions, we were a top-four or -five car in both sessions.

"We're in good shape for tomorrow."

Beckman faces Tommy Johnson Jr. in the opening round of eliminations.

TV Reminder:
Sunday, June 3 ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m.(ET).
Sunday, June 3 ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 4 p.m. (ET).